Komodo Liveaboard Komodo Komodo Liveaboard 5 Day Special Komodo Liveaboard
5 Day Special Komodo Liveaboard
5 Day Komodo Liveaboard going to the hidden spots with special diving
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5 Days of true adventure – wandering through the remote areas of the Komodo National Park. These trips are focused on the sites with Sharks or Mantas – depending on the month. We aren’t just “looking at fish” but we’ll be documenting the sightings and special training on these big species and – in the case of Mantas – documenting them through photos and submitting our data. This is done in conjunction with the Manta Trust. All that – plus some of the best food around, fun staff and the only ecologically aware dive boat in the region…the only thing missing is you! NEXT TRIPS: MAY 11th and JUNE 8th – Nearly Full!!!Why Join our 5 Day Special Komodo Liveaboard Adventures??
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Never Seen a Manta Ray or only briefly? Only seen a shark or two in passing? This trip is where we get down and dive right with them!! We schedule these trips specifically to be at the sites where we have the most encounters and at the time when we are most likely to see them and we time each dive of the day to hit the tides just right. these trips are not just diving – we focus on learning about these species. Not only do we teach, give presentations and have guest lecturers – but we also issue a unique Certification card as well. The sites we visit on these trips are off the beaten path…so we expect to be the only boat at many of the sites. As these trips are only once a month, on the dates that coincide with the best lunar tides it is important to plan far ahead – Check our trip schedules to see which trip suits you.
While we encourage all levels of divers to join our trips – due to the focus on certain sites with strong currents, we recommend that all guests on these trips have at least 20 dives and Advanced certification and to have dived recently. Please feel free to join our Komodo day trips. These trips are for all skill levels of divers (our staff are all instructors) and easily accommodate those with 5 dives or 500. Our groups are divided in a maximum of 4 divers per guide and each group is planned to accommodate divers of similar skill level. You will not only get the personal touch of small groups, but the sense of ease and comfort which our guides supply makes these Komodo tours far beyond a simple dive trip.
These are NOT luxury trips! With a traditional Phinisi schooner you are actually in a piece of history – not a luxury boat. In our emphasis on reducing the environmental impact of our trips we have several unique options – gravity-fed showers, low volume toilets, biodegradable shampoos and soaps as well as low impact diving. We have chosen to offer our guests the serenity and relaxation of having a “silent” boat at night, so no generator or engines running (except during transit) – thus we do not offer air-conditioning. With battery powered fans, custom made cross-ventilation systems and the breezes off the Andaman sea, this has not proved to be a issue for any of our guests – rather most people prefer the luxury of sitting silent in the middle of the ocean 🙂
Our Komodo Liveaboard trips are offered to enjoy the world, not escape from it. Rather than offering luxuries like TV, aircon, or wireless internet while located in these remote locations, we prefer the luxuries of human interaction. Having our boats set up the way we do, it encourages everyone to gather in the common area which the source of the majority of the complements of our guests. We know that you can go diving with anyone, but that you chose Wicked Diving because our staff strives to make each trip the most memorable it can be by creating an amazing group atmosphere and creating friendships that last well past the end of the voyage. And while we might not have things like aircon, we do supply some very nice amenities – from our handmade organic soaps (locally made) to the massive sun decks for relaxing, there is plenty to make these trips adventurous, fun and memorable.
Manta Ray Research
On the Manta Ray research trips we will dive at sites where manta rays are most frequently encountered. Then we will try to “tag” the Manta Rays – through pictures! With the photos and accurate descriptions of any marks, scars and gender – we add our collective pictures to a worldwide database for Manta Ray sightings. The is pooled with hundreds of other encounters and helps track migratory patterns, population density and much more. That is, if we find Manta Rays!! These, like many creatures, do not abide the will of man and we can only intend to have a Manta encounter, not guarantee one. We will however guarantee you interesting lectures by our staff with lots of information on the life, physiology and threats of these amazing creatures.
On our Komodo Manta Safaris we are looking for images which best show the spots on the underside (ventral surface) of the manta rays. These spots are unique to each and every manta ray, just like a fingerprint they can be used to identify every single individual. Other images which show the top (dorsal surface) of the manta rays, or the tail (ventral) area, can also be used to identify the specific species you encountered and/or the sex of the individual.
Using complex mathematical algorithms, the system automatically locates manta rays within digital images. The computer uses artificial intelligence to learn the features of manta rays so that it becomes better and better at recognising individuals with every new image which is added to the database. Once a positive ID is made, the automated animal recognition technology (ART) generates a biometric-ID from the spot patterns on the manta’s underside. The biometric-ID is then matched against other manta rays in the global database. Where there is a match, the time, date and location are added to the manta’s history file. If there is no match, then a new manta ray history file is created along with its movement data.
Why the Manta Ray Research Matters
Currently there are no comprehensive management programs for manta rays anywhere in the world, yet they are listed by the IUCN as ‘near threatened’ to extinction. This conservation assessment has not been updated since the discovery of two distinct species. The recent reclassification of the genus has major implications for the conservation assessment of the two species. Each species faces different and specific threats in various regions of the world, and the worldwide IUCN status of the genus requires urgent revaluation in light of this revision.
Wicked Diving offers a unique opportunity to benefit the local community, improve the world around us and have a great diving vacation! We use 2% of all income to support local projects that support the local community, marine research or marine conservation (or all three!). When you dive with Wicked, you make a difference. Please read up on our various projects, and policies on the Ethical Diving page.
Shark Research
These trips are not for those who fear sharks. No – they are NOT for macho guys trying to prove themselves, but we will encounter sharks in their natural habitat. Lots of them. They will be hunting, possibly breeding and they will be at the sites in large numbers. We visit the sites where they tend to feed and see them in action. Among the species we encounter are white-tip and black-tip reefsharks, Grey reef sharks are also common. There are several other species we occasionally encounter as well as many species of rays (closely related to Sharks. These fish belong to the subclass of Elasmobranchs also described as cartilaginous fish and are some of the oldest creatures to be still around on earth. Sharks and rays always seem to fascinate divers and for a good reason. They are beautiful and often sit on the top of the food chain. This also gives them a vital role in the natural balance of coral reefs. You will learn about which
species you can find in the Komodo National Park, their sensory systems, how they reproduce and their anatomy which is part of the SSI Shark Diver specialty. And of course we will go and dive the sites where we are most likely to find them. We will also show some movies on the shark finning industry and the impact this has on the health of our coral reefs.
Komodo Liveaboard Safety
Please also note the following conditions to ensure a safe diving trip for all our customers:
• Asthma. Please be aware that we do not accept divers with asthma on our Komodo Liveaboard trips if you have had an attack in the last 5 years. If you had an attack between 5-10 years ago, we will ask to see the results of a Spirometric test (lung function test) dated not older than 3 months from a qualified doctor (there are NO local facilities)
• Diabetes. Unfortunately we do not accept divers with this condition, as our staff are not medically qualified to a level to deal with any medical problems that may arise.
• Thyroid Disease. Divers with thyroid disease or having no thyroid gland should bring a medical statement dated within the past 3 months proving that their cardiovascular system has been critically assessed.
• Wicked Diving also can not accept divers with Hypertension (high blood pressure) or divers using anti-depressants (e.g. Prozac) on our Komodo Liveaboard trips.
Please note that for the above mentioned conditions we do NOT accept medical statements issued in Labuan Bajo. There are Internationally recognized hospitals in Bali, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. If you need any assistance or advice on this subject, please contact us for further information
